She garners respect from New York Times best selling author Barbara Kingsolver and has been joined in song by musical greats Mary Chapin Carpenter and Alison Krauss. Singer-songwriter and Indiana native Carrie Newcomer shares a garden of creativity even in the depths of late winter. “I have a deep connection to the natural world, gardening and sustainable agriculture and gardening keeps me in touch with the true meaning of abundance,” says Newcomer. She steps out of her rural community near Bloomington, Indiana and onto the stage of City Winery Chicago Sunday, March 8 at 5PM to showcase her newest CD called “A Permeable Life.”

Kingsolver heralds her work, “To my mind – a writer’s mind, Carrie Newcomer is much more than a musician. She’s a poet, storyteller, snake charmer, good neighbor, friend and lover, minister of the wide-eyed gospel of hope and grace.”

Like an inspired poet, Newcomer writes about the extraordinary in the ordinary, of hope and rejuvenation. Her themes have been influenced by the spiritual, philosophical and humanitarian aspects of her life and “Room At The Table” could just be the social justice anthem we’ve been waiting for.

Newcomer has toured internationally and has been a voice for social justice involved with hunger. She is a co-founder of The Soup Bowl Benefit, an annual community event that has raised more than one million dollars over the past twenty years in support of hunger efforts in Monroe County, Indiana. An award winning songwriter and performer, "A Permeable Life" is her fifteenth solo CD. Newcomer has been listed as one of "the 50 most influential folk musicians of the past 50 years" by Chicago's WFMT. Her rich, voluminous vocal quality paired with her soulfully reflective lyrics combine for a sanctuary of sound.

When home during the growing season, Newcomer tends to a large garden and plants fruit trees on her land. She forages in the spring for wild mushrooms and cooks what she grows and finds along with farm shares of seasonal produce she receives from a local CSA farmer. At the peak of the summer harvest, she cans her own salsa, inspiring the song “The Work of Our Hands” which started, she says, “with a day of home canning!”

Listening to Newcomer's music can bridge the gap between seasons and fill up your emotions with a promising abundance. Don’t miss this very special intimate evening with Carrie Newcomer performing songs from “A Permeable Life” Sunday March 8 at 5PM. It’s also the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, a signal that spring is not far on the horizon. Tickets available online: http://www.citywinery.com/chicago/tickets/carrie-newcomer-5pm-show-3-8.html

City Winery Chicago located at 1200 W. Randolph, is nestled in the West Loop and caters to urban food lovers alike who are passionate about sharing wine, music and culinary arts. The facility itself is unique; combining a fully functional winery including wine making classes with your private custom designed labels, intimate music concerts, food & wine classes, wine tastings and tours, private events and fine dining. A patio is open during the summer months. City Winery Chicago was honored with a 2013 vision award by the Urban Land Institute Chicago, attributed to a unique design and adaptive re-use of building materials of the 33,000 square foot, 100-year old building. Once a refrigerated food distribution warehouse in 1911, City Winery Chicago has fully transformed the space by the re-use of of the building materials in design, reclaimed original wood beans, masonry and brick.

Our upcoming SPRING publication will be a special chef themed issue in honor of the 2015 James Beard awards for food and food journalism, is promised to be jam packed with seasonal recipes and fascinating stories about the amazing chefs and food artisans who keep our food culture in Chicago vibrant and world-class.

The Spring issue will be distributed during April/May. Stay tuned to our website, Facebook and Twitter for distribution dates and locations. Or you can email us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Can't find a copy? Never miss a single issue and let us mail pristine copies right to your door. Subscribe today for $28.00 per year at ediblechicago.com. Also makes a thoughtful gift for your favorite local food lover.

If you’ve found yourself with a fistful of turnips at a farmers market and didn’t know what to do, fear not. The "Fearless Food Kitchen" in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood offers classes to teach you how to prepare and cook with seasonal food. The Chicago Park District and non-profit Peterson Garden Project have partnered to open an 800 square foot state-of-the-art teaching kitchen with a capacity to host 40 people. A variety of March offerings include, The Ultimate Macand Cheese Series,Cooking the Books Serieswith Thomas MNaughton's "Flour + Water = Pasta,Cuban Food, ChineseDumplings, Basque Cake Classes, are just to name a few already scheduled. The space can also be rented for private events.The "Fearless Food Kitchen" is located at the Broadway Armory at 5917 N. Broadway Ave.,Chicago. More detailed information about the classes, dates and tickets can be found online at: petersongarden.org.

Tickets are now on sale for the 5th Annual Chicago Food Film Festival, benefiting The Good Food Project. The weekend long event is the only festival in the world where guests get to watch food films and then eat the food from the films - right in their seats! All events take place at Kendall College. This is a weekend food event you won't want to miss.

“Pasture-raised poultry” refers to the production system that raises poultry directly on pasture. This model has been developed over the last 20 years. The birds receive up to 30% of their food intake from pasture forage and bugs. This is important for their health and the nutritional value of their meat and eggs. Typically, this model is found only on small farms. When compared to cage-raised birds, pasture-raised has: less total fat, less saturated fat resulting in fewer calories, less cholesterol, more omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin A.

We encourage you to buy your holiday turkeys and meat locally, from the family farmers that raise them humanely and on pasture, without added hormones or antibiotics. These family farmers in the Tri-State area service Chicago land with convenient drop off locations and ordering online is available. Do order soon as these farmers have a limited supply of Thanksgiving turkeys and will sell out. Pick up between November 22-24.

CAVENY FARM, Monticello, IL. Raising Bourbon Red heritage turkeys for over 10 years. Chicagoland pickup locations include Evanston/Holiday Market-Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Lincoln Park/Green City Market, the House of Glunz/Downtown on Saturday, November 22 and Rustic Road Farm in Geneva on Sunday November 23. Contact info: cavenyfarm.com, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 217-762-7767.